Sri Lanka

Summary

Official Name: Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka
Population: 22,156,000
Principal Languages: English, Sinhala, Tamil
Literacy Rate: 92% (2018 UNESCO)
International Conventions: CDE (1960), CSICH (2012), ICCPR (1966), UNCRPD (2006), UNDRIP (2007)
General References: Campbell and King 2011, Gair 1998, Voegelin and Voegelin 1977
Deaf Population: 73,340
Language Counts: The number of established languages listed for Sri Lanka is 7. All are living languages. Of these, 5 are indigenous and 2 are non-indigenous. Furthermore, 3 are institutional, 1 is vigorous, 2 are in trouble, and 1 is dying. Also listed are 5 unestablished languages.

Languages

Bengali ben: Users: 20,700 in Sri Lanka (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Eastern, Bengali-Assamese
English eng: Scattered. Users: 5,212,500 in Sri Lanka, all users. L1 users: 12,500 in Sri Lanka (2019). L2 users: 5,200,000 (2019). Status: 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language, used in government. Classification: Indo-European, Germanic, West, English
Gujarati guj: Users: 109,000 in Sri Lanka (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Intermediate Divisions, Western, Gujarati
Hindi hin: Users: 41,300 in Sri Lanka (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Western Hindi, Hindustani
Indo-Portuguese idb: Batticaloa, Colombo, Galle, Kandy, and Trincomalee districts. Users: 2,220 in Sri Lanka (2011 J. Leclerc). No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 3,410. Status: 6b* (Threatened). Classification: Creole, Portuguese based
Malayalam mal: Users: 713,000 in Sri Lanka (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Malayalam
Sinhala sin: Widespread. Users: 17,000,000 in Sri Lanka, all users. L1 users: 15,000,000 in Sri Lanka (2019). L2 users: 2,000,000 (1997). Total users in all countries: 17,507,470 (as L1: 15,507,470; as L2: 2,000,000). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution (amended), Article 18). Alternate Names: Cingalese, Singhala, Singhalese, Sinhalese Autonym: සිංහල‎ (Siṃhāla) Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Southern, Sinhalese-Maldivian
Sri Lankan Malay Creole sci: Ampara, Baddulla, Colombo, Galle, Gampaha, Hambantota, Jaffna, Kalutara, Kandy, Matara, Matale, Moneragala, and Nuwara Eliya districts, especially Badulla, Colombo, Hambantota, Kandy, and Kirinda urban areas. Users: 57,400 (2019), decreasing. Status: 6b (Threatened). Alternate Names: Java Jati, Melayu Bahasa, Sri Lankan Malay Classification: Creole, Malay based
Sri Lankan Sign Language sqs: Scattered. Users: 73,300 (2008 WFD). Approximately 0.35% of the general population. Status: 6a* (Vigorous). Classification: Sign language, Deaf community sign language
Tamil tam: Anurdhapura district: north and southwest; Batticaloa, south Baddulla, Galle, Jaffna, west Kandy, Matale, Mannar, northwest Moneragala, Mullaitivu, Nuwara Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Ratnapura, Trincomalee, and Vavuniya districts. Users: 5,540,000 in Sri Lanka (2019). Status: 1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution (amended), Articles 22(1), 24(1)), concentrated in North and East provinces; also in local administration and courts elsewhere. Classification: Dravidian, Southern, Tamil-Kannada, Tamil-Kodagu, Tamil-Malayalam, Tamil
Telugu tel: Users: 230,000 in Sri Lanka (2019). Status: Unestablished. Classification: Dravidian, South-Central, Telugu
Veddah ved: Baddulla, Kandy, Matale, Nuwara Eliya, and Polonnaruwa districts in eastern mountains; Moneragala district. Users: Ethnic population: 2,500 (2002). Status: 8b (Nearly extinct). Alternate Names: Beda, Bedda, Vaedda, Veda, Vedda, Veddha, Weda, Weddo Classification: Indo-European, Indo-Iranian, Indo-Aryan, Outer Languages, Southern, Sinhalese-Maldivian

Languages by Status

1 (National)

Sinhala

[sin] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution (amended), Article 18). 17,000,000 in Sri Lanka, all users. L1 users: 15,000,000 in Sri Lanka (2019). L2 users: 2,000,000 (1997). Total users in all countries: 17,507,470 (as L1: 15,507,470; as L2: 2,000,000).

Tamil

[tam] 1 (National). Statutory national language (1987, Constitution (amended), Articles 22(1), 24(1)), concentrated in North and East provinces; also in local administration and courts elsewhere. 5,540,000 in Sri Lanka (2019).

3 (Wider communication)

English

[eng] 3 (Wider communication). De facto national working language, used in government. 5,212,500 in Sri Lanka, all users. L1 users: 12,500 in Sri Lanka (2019). L2 users: 5,200,000 (2019).

6a (Vigorous)

Sri Lankan Sign Language

[sqs] 6a* (Vigorous). 73,300 (2008 WFD). Approximately 0.35% of the general population.

6b (Threatened)

Indo-Portuguese

[idb] 6b* (Threatened). 2,220 in Sri Lanka (2011 J. Leclerc). No monolinguals. Ethnic population: 3,410.

Sri Lankan Malay Creole

[sci] 6b (Threatened). 57,400 (2019), decreasing.

8b (Nearly extinct)

Veddah

[ved] 8b (Nearly extinct). Ethnic population: 2,500 (2002).

Unestablished

Bengali

[ben] Unestablished. 20,700 in Sri Lanka (2019).

Gujarati

[guj] Unestablished. 109,000 in Sri Lanka (2019).

Hindi

[hin] Unestablished. 41,300 in Sri Lanka (2019).

Malayalam

[mal] Unestablished. 713,000 in Sri Lanka (2019).

Telugu

[tel] Unestablished. 230,000 in Sri Lanka (2019).

Maps

Sri Lanka

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Sri Lanka with respect to their level of language vitality. Each individual language that has an entry for Sri Lanka is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of vitality. The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level.
The vitality levels and the color coding of the bars match the scheme used in the guide on How many languages are endangered? In this scheme, the levels and colors are as follows:
- Dark green = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Light green = Stable (EGIDS 5-6a) — The language is not being sustained by formal institutions, but It is still the norm in the home and community that all children learn and use the language.
- Red = Endangered (EGIDS 6b-9) — It is no longer the norm that children learn and use this language.
These three summary levels have been derived by grouping levels in the Expanded Graded Intergenerational Disruption Scale (EGIDS), which is the more fine-grained scale that Ethnologue uses to assess the status of every language in terms of development versus endangerment; see the Language Status page for a description of the levels of that scale. See also the pages on Development and Endangerment for more discussion.
Language Status Profile
Full explanation
This graph shows the profile of languages in Sri Lanka with respect to their status of language development versus language endangerment. Each individual language that has an entry for Sri Lanka is included in the profile. The horizontal axis represents the estimated level of development or endangerment as measured on the EGIDS scale. (See the pages on Development and Endangerment for a fuller explanation.) The height of each bar indicates the number of languages that are estimated to be at the given level. Consult the Status listings for Sri Lanka in order to see the specific languages for each level.
The color coding of the bars matches the color scheme used in the summary profile graphs on the navigation maps for the site. In this scheme, the EGIDS levels are grouped as follows:
- Purple = Institutional (EGIDS 0-4) — The language has been developed to the point that it is used and sustained by institutions beyond the home and community.
- Blue = Developing (EGIDS 5) — The language is in vigorous use, with literature in a standardized form being used by some though this is not yet widespread or sustainable.
- Green = Vigorous (EGIDS 6a) — The language is unstandardized and in vigorous use among all generations.
- Yellow = In trouble (EGIDS 6b-7) — Intergenerational transmission is in the process of being broken, but the child-bearing generation can still use the language so it is possible that revitalization efforts could restore transmission of the language in the home.
- Red = Dying (EGIDS 8a-9) — The only fluent users (if any) are older than child-bearing age, so it is too late to restore natural intergenerational transmission through the home; a mechanism outside the home would need to be developed.
- Black = Extinct (EGIDS 10) — The language has fallen completely out of use and no one retains a sense of ethnic identity associated with the language.

Resources

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Digest of the languages of Sri Lanka ($149.95, 24 page PDF)

Sri Lanka

Summary

Languages

Languages by Status

Maps

Sri Lanka

Graphs

Language Vitality Profile

Language Status Profile

Resources

Contributions

Editorial Action